Daily hypos, any ideas?

[macone23]

I am type 2 & have been prescribed metformin and glicazide, I am also steroid dependant but I have been experiencing daily hypos in the early evening. Upon waking I'm usually 10 or so & this climbs steadily through the day to a peak mid afternoon of about 19.
The unit at the local hospital looking into this are stumped, they have stopped both my meds for a few days to rule them out but all this has done is make my levels a lot higher through the day but the hypos are still happening just the same.
I'm eating sensibly, I'm not exercising at the time or doing anything different in any way.
Please if anyone has any ideas please let me know

Many thanks
Paul

 

[Robinredbreast]

I am type 2 & have been prescribed metformin and glicazide, I am also steroid dependant but I have been experiencing daily hypos in the early evening. Upon waking I'm usually 10 or so & this climbs steadily through the day to a peak mid afternoon of about 19.
The unit at the local hospital looking into this are stumped, they have stopped both my meds for a few days to rule them out but all this has done is make my levels a lot higher through the day but the hypos are still happening just the same.
I'm eating sensibly, I'm not exercising at the time or doing anything different in any way.
Please if anyone has any ideas please let me know

Many thanks
Paul

Hello Paul :wave: Sorry to hear of your evening hypos. I not type 2 myself, but hopefully another type 2 will be along to help with some good advice for you.

Best wishes RRB

 

[CarbsRok]

Hi Paul,
Edited out my reply as just read your previous posts.
It's a long shot but ask for a ACTH Stim test. I'm wondering if you have got yourself secondary Addison's disease by your high dose of prednisolone. IE, your adrenal glands have shut down completely. This causes low blood sugars and they are a b*gger to rise if due to lack of cortisol in your body.
If this is the cause of the problem and it's only a guess then perhaps discuss with your team about splitting your pred dose ie have some at lunch time.
A normal amount for cortisol replacement would be 6mg of pred a day, so you way over that to help with your breathing problems.
It would also be worth discussing the use of insulin to help you out as well.

 

[macone23]

I take 50mg prednisone at 4am along with my other meds which are for severe asthma, vocal chord dysfunction, acid reflux and obstructive sleep apnea. The steroids have caused Cushings syndrome and I think the diabetes also. Does that help

 

[macone23]

Thanks Carbsrok, yeah they mentioned about insulin so I'll mention it all on Friday
Thanks again
Paul

 

[CarbsRok]

I take 50mg prednisone at 4am along with my other meds which are for severe asthma, vocal chord dysfunction, acid reflux and obstructive sleep apnea. The steroids have caused Cushings syndrome and I think the diabetes also. Does that help

Ah ok, that's a lot of pred, do you have a specialist team to help with your asthma? I'm shocked that nothing is being done about the cushings as that proves you are on way to much pred. I do wonder if the pred has worn out hence the hypo as adrenal glands can't respond anymore.
I think you need an urgent apt with an endo, not some local team.

 

[macone23]

Yeah I see a specialist team in Birmingham at heartlands hospital for my asthma and the person on Monday who mentioned the insulin was Warwick hospitals endo consultant, the diabetes nurse specialists got him involved cus their stumped. I've been on the steroids 16 months now.

 

[CarbsRok]

Yeah I see a specialist team in Birmingham at heartlands hospital for my asthma and the person on Monday who mentioned the insulin was Warwick hospitals endo consultant, the diabetes nurse specialists got him involved cus their stumped. I've been on the steroids 16 months now.

Then some backside kicking needs to be done. Having cushing plus diabetes due to a very high steroid use is not on.
There are different drugs than can be used in conjunction with a lot lower steroid dose.
You are in danger of your bones thining plus a lot more problems with that amount of steroid.

 

[macone23]

I'm on a med for the bone thinning & I'm booked in for a density scan. I've been on loads of different combinations over the years but only the steroids seem to be effective without REALLY NASTY side effects, I know Cushings and hypos aren't nice but there better than the alternatives. At the end of the day I gotta breath

 

[CarbsRok]

I'm on a med for the bone thinning & I'm booked in for a density scan. I've been on loads of different combinations over the years but only the steroids seem to be effective without REALLY NASTY side effects, I know Cushings and hypos aren't nice but there better than the alternatives. At the end of the day I gotta breath

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cushing's_syndrome :shock:

 

[macone23]

Thank you so so much for your excellent advice, I've got pretty much all those symptoms but there again my asthma mob already identified it but the diabetes nurse's have discounted it completely, so I'm gonna print that off and take it with me.
I think I'll do the same for Addisons as well.

Thank you so so much for your valuable time. I'll let you know how it goes

Paul

 

[Robinredbreast]

Thank you so so much for your excellent advice, I've got pretty much all those symptoms but there again my asthma mob already identified it but the diabetes nurse's have discounted it completely, so I'm gonna print that off and take it with me.
I think I'll do the same for Addisons as well.

Thank you so so much for your valuable time. I'll let you know how it goes

Paul

Good luck Paul :thumbup: RRB